Jetblast, allow me to toss out my first build, and favorite plane to take flying, the Top Flite Contender. I learned alot from building this plane with it's up-turned wing tips and large single flap on the wing center. The best part is, since it's not a scale plane, any mistakes you make, you can just "fix" and call customization. . I really think this plane could fit your needs, it can be flown on a 40 or 60 size engine, the airframe is not too large at a 53" wingspan, and can fly pretty aggresively, or very gently (especially with the flap down).